The coolest concoctions under the sun

Sometimes there are out of the way dining opportunities that most guests do not take advantage of. Also, on a rare occasion, there are menu items at a restaurant that not the marquee attraction, but deserve just as much fanfare. Then, there are the unsung items on an obscure menu that that no one knows about, and this is a tragedy. Today’s item, from Beaches and Cream, just happens to be one of these delicious dishes that no one knows about.

Beaches and Cream may not be the least known restaurant on property, but I have certainly never had a difficult time procuring a table there, even during the middle of the busy Easter/Spring Break period. For those who are unaware of this tucked away gem, Beaches and Cream resides along the first floor outdoor walkway between the Yacht and Beach Club. From the counter tops and stools, to the booths, patterned tin ceilings, and authentic WurliTzer by the front door, Beaches and Cream is the ideal in old fashioned soda fountains.

The menu, lined with soda and syrup concoctions, beef patty burgers, and an unhealthy amount of ice cream, complements the pop shop’s décor to the letter. For those in the know, the ice cream is what brings them back time and again. Whether it is the Kitchen Sink, a mountain of ice sure to give the entire table tummy aches, or the peanut butter, chocolate, and fudge fantasy known as a No Way Jose, there is a belly busting dessert here for everyone. Mine just happens to be the Frozen Sunshine.

Tucked away in the bottom corner of the inside fold of the menu, this little ray of sunshine offers a great dessert that will perk you up, rather than having you sluggishly rushing to take a nap, and give your taste buds a chill. Frozen Sunshine is a delicious potion of orange sherbet, vanilla ice cream and seltzer churned up to give just the right amount of creamy, tangy, fizzy that can be sipped with a straw or gulped down with a spoon. The treat is topped with a generous helping of whipped cream and a handful of small candied orange slices. As if this weren’t enough, whatever portion of the mixture that doesn’t fit into the glass in brought to your seat in the tumbler it was made in. Talk about a bonus!

I highly recommend everything on the menu at Beaches and Cream as, even though I haven’t tried everything on it, I have yet to have a bad experience or a bland meal. The sandwiches and burgers are all top tier, especially when paired with an old fashioned cherry Coke, but if you truly want to experience Beaches and Cream for all it is worth, as well as have the sugar trip of a lifetime, give one of the sundaes, milkshakes, or floats a once over. And, if you really want to taste the best they have to offer, you cannot go wrong with the Frozen Sunshine!

Master Plan 5

Master Plans have a funny way of being usurped, especially in the realm of Disney theme parks. Disneyland had sixty-seven master plans before Walt and his team finally hit upon the right combination of adventures to open the park with. The process improved over time, as the Imagineers opened Walt Disney World with the seventeenth version of the Vacation Kingdom’s plan. With all of that in mind, I thought it would be intriguing to examine Master Plan 5 of EPCOT Center, which was released in 1977.

By 1977, the ideas of Future World and World Showcase being the fundamental lands of EPCOT Center were firmly cemented. Though Master Plan 5 admitted that some of the pieces of the plan would undoubtedly change before the park opened, it held firm to the belief that the two areas that would comprise EPCOT Center would remain, and so they did. The plan was also correct in its assumption that pavilions and attraction concepts would also change before 1981. Let’s go ahead and look at each piece of the EPCOT Center puzzle as seen in 1977.

Spaceship Earth – The introduction to EPCOT Center, both in idea and implementation, the show presented inside the geodesic sphere was meant to showcase ‘the relationship between communications and humankind’s continuing dynamic-survival.’ This communication-as-a-tool message, complete with the adaptability of communication to various forms, such as books, language, and computers, was critical to the understanding of the concepts, and how they were being presented, throughout the remainder of the park.This message, as it turns out, would be precisely what was conveyed to guests, through various incarnations, for a majority of the EPCOT Center and Epcot’s first twenty-five years.

Communicore – The hub of EPCOT Center was to be a ‘global marketplace of new ideas.’ In Master Plan 5’s version of Communicore, this global marketplace include Telstore (a video library meant to showcase the video information market), Informat Arcade (an array of wild information exchange and newfound means of information retrieval),Good Health Emporium (the pharmacy of the future), Future World Travel Port (information kiosks where data imputed by guests would populate virtual previews of potential vacations), Future World Office (a paperless office environment), and FuturePlan (a career planning station featuring new fields and second career opportunities).While some of the individual components would shift before EPCOT Center’s opening, the main vision of a global marketplace would remain in place throughout Communicore’s lifespan.

Life and Health Pavilion – EPCOT Center was centered around the idea of human life, specifically ways to make our interactions with each and other and the world around us better, this pavilion would open the doors for guests to gain a ‘new awareness and appreciation of themselves.’ The Joy of Living would showcase the life of a human, from birth through the elderly years. The Incredible Journey Within was meant to me an exploratory journey of the inner workings of the human machine. Meanwhile, the Great Midway of Life would be an expo of exhibits and experiences intended to impart the idea that good health is shaped by personal choice.When Wonders of Life opened in 1989, many of these concepts were modified, plussed, and found new life in a form similar to Master Plan 5’s vision.

The Land – Natural resources are not unlimited, but had been treated as such for many years. The goal of this glass-spire pavilion was to make guests aware of this problem and express ‘the need for harmony between man and his home.’ Master Plan 5 did not include details on The Land’s experiences, but knew that information on resources, environment, and farming needed to be conveyed in entertaining fashion.The Land opened within EPCOT Center with innovative greenhouses, a man-as-earth’s-protector film, and a show seeking to develop better dietary habits, balancing the ideas of Master Plan 5’s The Land pavilion with a theme focusing more on food and agriculture than environment.

Transportation – Like communication, transportation has moved man from one innovation to another, and this experience would showcase ‘how man has progressed through time in direct relation to his ability to move from one location to another.’ The pavilion would feature transportation simulations, inspire with concepts and prototypes of future transportation modes, and follow the trail from humble designs to current transportation designs.Many of these Master Plan 5 concepts would be tweaked, but would find their legs within the World of Motion’s main touring attraction and TransCenter.

Energy Pavilion – In the latter half of the twentieth century, energy became a chief concern of the world. This pavilion, topped with solar panels, was to explore the ‘potential of raw energy available.’ The Master Plan 5 exteriors were surrounded by various potential energy sources, while the interior show features the formation of fossils fuels and the futures of energy, each piece of the story culminating in an energy storm featuring wind, volcanic eruptions, lightning and rain, and fire, among the other energy possibilities.The Universe of Energy kept this message alive, bringing about awareness of potential energy sources yet to be tapped.

The Seas – Covering more than two-thirds of the earth, the seas are filled with history, discovery, mystery, and wonder, all of which would have been covered in the pavilion surrounded with 'authentic ocean environments.' The concepts in Master Plan 5 called for a show, entitled Spirit of Mankind, in which the seven sailors who charted the seas guide guests through the explorations of the seas. The plans also called for another journey, this one through the depths of the ocean, with the king of the seas, Poseidon, as the guests’ guide. Meanwhile, at Sea Base Alpha, oceanographic exhibits, marine life, and a restaurant under the sea were all planned.While Poseidon’s journey and the guided trip with mariners never breached the surface of the water, The Living Seas opened in 1986 with oceanographic and historical exhibits, as well as a tour through the underwater environments of Sea Base Alpha.

Space – The depth of the final frontier has barely been scratched, but this pavilion would seek to address ‘the challenges and possibilities of future space technology and exploration.’ The Space Vehicle proposed in Master Plan 5 was a massive theater ship designed to take guests from the days of stargazing, to current space programs, and into the fringes of the known wilds of space.While Horizons would use some of Master Plan 5’s ideas for discussing the past and future of space exploration, neither EPCOT Center nor Epcot had a pavilion dedicated to the history and tomorrow of space travel until Mission: SPACE began flight training to Mars in 2003.

The American Adventure – This pavilion, which would feature ‘the remarkable three-century story of the American people,’ was meant to border Future World and World Showcase as the gateway to the remainder of World Showcase. The program would cover the history of the country, and the nation’s eternal optimism, from the pilgrims arriving at Plymouth through to the moon landing with hosts Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, and Will Rogers.In the end, the American Adventure was moved directly across the lagoon and Will Rogers was moved from host to historical figure, and the American Adventure was left without a guide for the twentieth century, but the heart of the American Adventure endure from Master Plan 5 through to the opening, and current, incarnations of the show.

World Showcase – World Showcase, with its design, attractions, dining, products, and native Cast Members would be ‘the first permanent international exposition.’ Authentic food, architecture, and young adults form the host countries were all part of the global ambassadorial nature of what World Showcase’s global community would be.The concept of World Showcase had been pitched to a plethora of nations in the years leading up to 1977, which had meant massive amounts of concept design work for nations from across the globe. As of Master Plan 5, the focus would begin shifting to fine-tuning the ideas and concepts for nations that showed the most potential. World Showcase would open with nine nations, with the additions of Morocco and Norway in the years to follow.

Overall, Master Plan 5 had a great many of the concepts that would open with EPCOT Center nailed down, at least in theory if not in the actual form that would be executed. Looking back at this set of designs not only gives us a glimpse into what might have been, but also insight into the process that created the future of the world in 1982.

With little or no soil

Today, we’re going to start a two part article feature one of the underappreciated and overlooked gems of Future World, the Behind the Seeds tour in The Land pavilion. The second part of the story, a photo exploration of the tour, can be found here on Thursday morning.

For starters, let’s begin with what Walt Disney World has to say about the tour itself, “Discover the secrets of how The Land Pavilion grows delicious produce indoors on this special backstage tour. See the future of agriculture, go alligator gazing, release lady bugs and learn the advanced—and often experimental—techniques used to grow hydroponic crops with little or no soil. Watch how new methods are being developed to cultivate plants around the world and help make the Earth a healthier place to live.”

That is about as succinct of a description as I, or anyone else, could give to Behind the Seeds, which means that I am going to go into way more detail than is necessary about the experience.

The tour starts with the gathering of participants in the small alcove that hosts the restrooms near the entrance to Soarin’. From there you step through a set of doors and are immediately backstage at The Land. Introductions are made all around, and the members of the group move deeper into areas not usually seen by guests. The first stop is a laboratory where a multitude of plant tissue cultures from a variety of species are collected, cultivated, and grown into small plants that can be taken home via the Mickey’s Mini Gardens program/merchandise.

From here on, Behind the Seeds moves into the various greenhouses that are seen along the Living With the Land boat tour. The two major differences between touring these facilities with Behind the Seeds as opposed to the boat are that the greenhouses are viewed in reverse order and guests have much more time to explore the greenhouses on foot. Guests are also allowed, and actually encouraged, to ask questions along the tour, gathering further insights into the processes taking place throughout the living laboratories.

The first greenhouse is the most technically advanced greenhouse, with focuses on hydroponics, aeroponics, integrated aquaculture, and the ability to produce plants in space. You are invited to explore the spaces here, obviously without interfering, where you can get so close to some of the procedures you can actually see the nutrient spray nozzles. Along this section of the tour guests are also exposed to pest management solutions, vertical growing techniques, and shown how to create your own hydroponic tank (complete with hand-out). This also happens to be the tastiest portion of the tour, where guests are invited to sample a cucumber that has been grown in the greenhouses.

Moving forward, the next room on the tour offers up some of the systems that can be used to generate high produce yields. Along this leg of Behind the Seeds guests are shown the Mickey molds for cucumbers, pumpkins, and other vegetables, the tomato trees which have been known to supply Guinness World Record setting amounts of crops, as well as a variety of vegetation stations where the gathered plants can be handled. It is also in this space that the theme of pest management is reintroduced, as children in the group are allowed to release ladybugs which will feed on smaller, more damaging, pests.

The group then moves into the aquaculture greenhouse, where fish farming is the topic of the moment. Along with sustainable fish farming practices, this section of Behind the Seeds also discusses how endangered species, such as the American Alligator on hand, can be cultivated and brought back to numbers above the endangered mark. It is here where the tour also takes on another interactive element, this time allowing the participants to feed the fish.

In the final greenhouse of the tour, the group makes its way into the tropical greenhouse. In addition to the techniques being implemented here to create and foster balanced farms in tropical environments, there are also a couple of container gardens not visible from the Living With the Land boat tour. The tea and spice gardens, the latter of which has samples in containers which members of the Behind the Seeds tour can examine and smell, exemplify the idea that anyone can create a garden that can have a positive impact.

Proving that sustainable crops can be created, the vegetables found within the greenhouses are used in the meals prepared inside The Land pavilion’s restaurants, and occasionally in other restaurants of Epcot. Similarly, the fish populations here can also be found plated at some Walt Disney World restaurants. While the only thing consumed on the tour is a slice of cucumber, the knowledge imparted to guests and the interactive nature of Behind the Seeds make this tour an unforgettable, repeatable, and thoroughly enjoyable experience, even if the tour only lasts a little over an hour.

For information on booking the tour, which I highly recommend you do the next time you are going to be in Walt Disney World, guests can call (407) WDW-TOUR [407-939-8687] or drop in at the information desk near the entrance to Soarin’ where you can learn more about Behind the Seeds and book your party. And be sure to come right back here on Thursday, when the Gazette will take you on a photo safari of Behind the Seeds.

Disney This Week - 18 April 2010

Apparently, Princess Fee has been keeping up with the Jones. Or, at least she has caught up to them in Boot Hill, where their witty epitaphs have landed on DF’82.

The Spirit of Aloha offers up a feast for the senses, and this week Chuck Lionberger, who pens DisneyDaddy, offers up some terrific tips for making the show more enjoyable.

While in the Magic Kingdom last week, I noticed a few, some seemingly out of place, construction projects going on around and near Fantasyland. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one, as J. Jeff Kober explores these sites for readers of Disney At Work.

If you weren’t already aware, I was (or is that am…) a child of Frontierland. Shawn Slater also has a penchant for the area, as DisneyShawn took a few minutes to showcase the names surrounding one of the areas hidden treasures, Tom Sawyer Island.

Also not a surprise to anyone is my fondness for World Showcase’s France pavilion. Progress City U.S.A. scribe Michael Crawford examines the never-built French facades and possibilities of Impressions de France 360.

Over at SamLand’s Disney Adventures, Sam Gennawey offers up a step-by-step study of D23’s Disney Undiscovered calendar.

The Disney Food Blog has long found ways to entertain with food. This week, AJ allows World Showcase to highlight some of its dining entertainment.

What is the best way to spend Earth Day next week? According to Jackie Ogden of the Disney Parks Blog, it is Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Party for the Planet, a recommendation I heartily endorse!

Over at Disney Every Day, Amanday Tinney highlights one of the many remarkable Cast Members who make a difference, not only in the parks, but in the larger scheme of life.

D23 honors the life of the man who was the conscience of Disney, Eddie Carroll, the voice of Jiminy Cricket.

Pleasure family pet

Pleasure family pet
Ryan P. Wilson

Throughout the years that Pleasure Island was the nighttime destination for Walt Disney World, the tales of Merriweather Pleasure and his family that were shared and cultivated were some of the most original stories every Imagineered. Over the years these stories became less and less visible to the average guest due to the metamorphosis of the island, as well as the individual clubs. The storehouse for a majority of the narratives that remained took the form of, not surprisingly, the Adventurers Club.

The Adventurers Club was closed, along with the other clubs of Pleasure Island, in the fall of 2008. Throughout the remainder of 2008 and all of 2009, there were several events that took place in the shuttered club, before the adventurers had their last Hoopla! With announcements that Hong Kong Disneyland would gain its own Adventurers Club, many longtime fans began to wonder if we had seen the last of Pleasure’s magnificent artifacts in Florida.

To the surprise, and delight, of many several relics from the Adventurers Club have found a new home in West Side’s newest store, D-Street. The Vinylmation centric shop appears to have been cobbled together from a vast array of pieces not only from Pleasure Island, but all around Walt Disney World. My favorite piece from the Adventurers Club that can now be found on display in the D-Street is Scooter.

Scooter was the longtime pet of the Pleasures, and was a particular favorite of Merriweather’s daughter, Merriam. Scooter was given his name by the Viceroy of Ceylon, Sir Manning Hubley Sommerset, in 1931. Oh, I suppose I should mention that Scooter, Merriam’s favorite pet, was no ordinary feline or canine. As is the case with all of the stories surrounding the Pleasures, Scooter is…, well…, exotic, because he is, in fact, a peacock.

POP Icons

POP Icons
Tony Caggiano

As a long time Disney Vacation Club member, nearly all of my resort choices over the past decade and a half have fallen within the DVC family of resorts. Cozy and spacious, it is tough to spend extra vacation points on rooms outside of the DVC collection. As a lifetime Walt Disney World fanatic, I still feel a strong need to explore all that the World has to offer, and the resorts are certainly no exception.

On a recent weekend getaway, last minute plans made it difficult to get a booking at one of our usual haunts. Always one to make lemonade out of the lemons I have been handed, I figured it was a fantastic opportunity to explore a resort we have never stayed at before. After much discussion between my wife and me, it was actually the excitement of a 3 and a half year old that led us to our choice. While watching the most recent Walt Disney World vacation planning video, I witnessed a little boys face light up when he noticed the giant character statues located at Disney’s Pop Century Resort.

I have heard a lot of good things about Pop Century and, after a five day visit, I have to say that I am hooked. The magic abounds all over the resort grounds, but there is a special palpable feeling once the sun goes down. Meticulously crafted and carefully illuminated, these oversized icons, located all around the resort, come alive at night.One night after returning from the parks, I helped Charlene tuck the sleeping little ones in and I headed out to photograph these behemoths. Three hours later I returned to the room, excited and unable to sleep, touched by the magic of these Pop icons.

A Polynesian setting

A Polynesian setting
Ryan P. Wilson

The Adventureland Veranda opened, just over the bridge into Adventureland, when the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971. It served up such memorable food items as the Sweet and Sour Hot Dog and Teriyaki Burger, but was unceremoniously shuttered in the summer of 1994. Since that time it has opened, on the rare occasion, when Pecos Bill was temporarily closed for a refurbishment or as a character meet and greet location.

Over the busy Easter period at Walt Disney World the Veranda once again opened its doors to the throngs of guests hungry for a place to dine. For the few days that it once again served guests, the partially opened restaurant was listed as the Veranda Refreshments, and supplied hot, hand carved, sandwiches. With the Veranda opened for the first time in the digital age, at least for the first time without any pirate overlay, the Veranda Refreshments offered longtime Walt Disney World enthusiasts a chance to tour through parts of the facility and venture back to the bygone days.

For those of you unable to visit Adventureland during those hectic, yet scant, days that the establishment was open, I thought it would be nice for the Gazette to give all of its readers a tour of the current state of the Veranda. I was extremely pleased to find the flooring tile has retained its tropical, yet unidentifiable, pattern, that the lighting fixtures have remained, and that much of the wooden accents can also still be found throughout the domicile. That, however, is enough of my thoughts, on with the tour!